Half my life ago, I started as a night janitor at Pope High School. It was my fifth-year in high school and the most important job I’ve ever had. Working at Pope taught me 5 things I never could learn in school.
1.Judge people by their heart not job title.
2. That I am not my job. That how I do my job reflects who I am.
3. That putting a textbook in a toilet and pooping on it is not funny.
4. A pity party is only enjoyed by the person who is throwing it.
5. Talent + Attitude + Effort = A clean school and a bright future.
I think about that job now because I am in a similar place. I must use my talent, have a great attitude and put in the effort.
I thought being a janitor was the worst moment of my life. But it led to so many great moments. It taught me a perspective that got me through cancer and career hiccups. Change seems scary. But it’s also opportunity’s best friend.
So thank you Pope High School for my education. I’m not a graduate, but I am proud to be your only two-time Pulitzer-Finalist Custodian.
P.S. When I was a janitor, I worked with a lady whose husband was an out-of-work Eastern pilot. She worked hard keeping family intact. That lady, who I grew to admire for her grit and work-ethic, is now my mother-in-law.
That’s the end of the Custodian Chronicles. I always think about Pope HS when the kids go back-to-school.